I was reading a story a friend sent me when I was struck by a phrase he used, ‘It is easy to move someone from his village but very difficult to remove the village in him’. He used it in reference of his friend who could not simple match up with the new status he acquired when he located to the city. At the moment I remembered mentioning in an earlier blog that it is difficult to ignore one’s origins in reference to the ruling by a European court of human rights banning crosses in schools citing violation of freedom.
Though the ruling was not bidding it was received with mixed feelings with the majority saying it was against the very foundations of Europe while the minority celebrated hailing the decision as a landmark in recognizing freedoms. The Italian government vowed to fight the ruling and recently she filed her appeal saying that display of crucifixes has much more than religious meaning in reference to the history and traditions of Italy. http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2010/01/22/visualizza_new.html_1676596494.html
The debate has been characterized by accusations and counter accusations and it seems it is not going away any time soon. A huge number argue that the presence of the cross does not infringe the rights to adhere or not to adhere to a religion. What continues to appall is that the Muslims whose rights are supposedly infringed by the presence of the crucifixes have said nothing not even their leaders. One wonders what this silence means. Are they celebrating that finally they are getting another loophole to invade Europe? If not would they have been quiet if it was the banning of their religious symbols?
Whatever the case it remains the duty of the Christians to defend their faith by hook or crook. However, it would be laughable to wage a war while you are not properly armed. The arms of the day would certainly not be the guns and bombs but a real practice of faith. It is not about firing a judge who does not support our view about the cross like it happened in Italy http://www.zenit.org/article-28273?l=english
The best way to fight would be to give meaning to your belief by being defined by it. This way others can have something to reverence and imitate: it is not about flight or fight but about being there, to be counted! By the way how many of the Christians know what the cross means and how do you behave before one? As the Pope said on Wednesday quoting Saint Antony of Padua, in the cross we realize who we are as men, believers or not, it is our mirror. The question is how do you behave before a mirror? http://www.zenit.org/article-28316?l=english
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Despite Shoah new beginning possible.
I was wondering what I should put on my blog until I got a letter that captured some words found near a dead child at the Ravensbrook concentration camp where 92,000 women and children died during the world war II. The words were almost getting buried in my head having seen them as I was doing a synthesis of the book ‘Man search for meaning’.
“O lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill-will. But do not remember all their suffering they had inflicted upon us. Remember the fruits we have brought, thanks to this suffering - our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to their judgment, let all the fruits we have born be their forgiveness”.
Sixty five years ago, 27 January 1947, the jails of Auschwitz were opened. Those who were lucky to see with their eyes the Soviet soldiers releasing the prisoners have memorable images of man’s greed. Many of us have only the images through stories, books or via television. However, many can testify that these jails were symbols of racial hatred by the Germany Nazis’ that led to thousands of Jews losing their lives in horrible crimes. While it was the Jews who suffered the pain and loss, the crimes were against humanity and should be a sign that humanity should never head that way again.
Modern man with his vast knowledge with a heart of the continent more civil and developed should have realized man had fallen in an abyss of hopelessness. Today the question we ask is how could Shoah have happened without someone having to stop it? This trauma should be the spring board to a better tomorrow not only for Europe but also for the rest of the world.
In various countries in Europe some activities to recall the day are organized mostly in schools to keep the heritage alive and hope to teach young minds that man has a more dignified calling. It was in this context that Pope Benedict reminded humanity that such horrible crimes of racial hatred should never happen again. http://www.agi.it/news/notizie/201001271154-cro-rt10094 shoah_papa_crimine_della_germania_odio_razzista_e_disumano Shoah should be a reminder that if man does not live fully his vocations as human beings then it is possible to sink so low as to maim, torture and kill fellow human beings as though it never mattered. Incidents that happen in different places where racial hatred is still alive are indicators that a repeat if Shoah is going to happen and the writing are on the wall.
Of late Shoah has been used for political purposes with some claiming it never happened. In fact President Ahmednajad of Iran has consistently said it was a creation of Zionists in reference to Israel. Indeed the words have been repeated today by the Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei saying Israel will once be destroyed. http://www.agi.it/estero/notizie/201001271208-est-rt10107-shoah_khamenei_un_giorno_vedremo_la_distruzione_di_israele. Such careless claims should be condemned with the strongest terms possible. It is a clear indication that Khamenei and his supporters have never made a flea-hop-step from being a Neanderthal.
Whatever it is that Ahmednajad or Khamenei have against Israel issuing such statements does not augur well for the many hearts who still suffer the loss of their loved one, who suffered in those concentration camps. Like the writer of the words above asked of his God let us too not remember the suffering we had to endure but what fruits we have born thanks to the suffering.
“O lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill-will. But do not remember all their suffering they had inflicted upon us. Remember the fruits we have brought, thanks to this suffering - our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to their judgment, let all the fruits we have born be their forgiveness”.
Sixty five years ago, 27 January 1947, the jails of Auschwitz were opened. Those who were lucky to see with their eyes the Soviet soldiers releasing the prisoners have memorable images of man’s greed. Many of us have only the images through stories, books or via television. However, many can testify that these jails were symbols of racial hatred by the Germany Nazis’ that led to thousands of Jews losing their lives in horrible crimes. While it was the Jews who suffered the pain and loss, the crimes were against humanity and should be a sign that humanity should never head that way again.
Modern man with his vast knowledge with a heart of the continent more civil and developed should have realized man had fallen in an abyss of hopelessness. Today the question we ask is how could Shoah have happened without someone having to stop it? This trauma should be the spring board to a better tomorrow not only for Europe but also for the rest of the world.
In various countries in Europe some activities to recall the day are organized mostly in schools to keep the heritage alive and hope to teach young minds that man has a more dignified calling. It was in this context that Pope Benedict reminded humanity that such horrible crimes of racial hatred should never happen again. http://www.agi.it/news/notizie/201001271154-cro-rt10094 shoah_papa_crimine_della_germania_odio_razzista_e_disumano Shoah should be a reminder that if man does not live fully his vocations as human beings then it is possible to sink so low as to maim, torture and kill fellow human beings as though it never mattered. Incidents that happen in different places where racial hatred is still alive are indicators that a repeat if Shoah is going to happen and the writing are on the wall.
Of late Shoah has been used for political purposes with some claiming it never happened. In fact President Ahmednajad of Iran has consistently said it was a creation of Zionists in reference to Israel. Indeed the words have been repeated today by the Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei saying Israel will once be destroyed. http://www.agi.it/estero/notizie/201001271208-est-rt10107-shoah_khamenei_un_giorno_vedremo_la_distruzione_di_israele. Such careless claims should be condemned with the strongest terms possible. It is a clear indication that Khamenei and his supporters have never made a flea-hop-step from being a Neanderthal.
Whatever it is that Ahmednajad or Khamenei have against Israel issuing such statements does not augur well for the many hearts who still suffer the loss of their loved one, who suffered in those concentration camps. Like the writer of the words above asked of his God let us too not remember the suffering we had to endure but what fruits we have born thanks to the suffering.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Islam in Europe. Getting back to the roots.
Islam is widely considered world’s fastest growing religion, with immigration and above average birth rates leading to a rapid increase in the Muslim population. The exact number of Muslims is difficult to establish but it is estimated 2b people are followers of Islam worldwide. However, in Eastern Europe has an average of 40-45% while the Western Europe is relatively low at 4.5% but the numbers are on the rise. http://www.storialibera.it/attualita/islam_ed_europa/
At the time when Islam seems to be advancing across Europe, we need to remind ourselves that in the minds of many Europeans, images of Islam are becoming increasingly limited to terrorism, permanent jihad, suicide bombers,… etc. The Muslims have a reason to be taking over Europe. According to Czech Cardinal Miloslav ‘the Muslims have a reason to be heading to Europe. They have a religious one- to bring the spiritual values of faith in God to a pagan environment in Europe, to its atheistic style of life’.www.circolopraga.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1674:cardinale-vlk-attenti-all-islam&catid=98:dalla-cechia&Itemid=350
Others accuse European Union of having diverted from the Christian principles on which it was found and getting secularized opening space to Islamization. The result of secularization -no crosses in school, no Presepe’s in schools! However, if the Christians are to wage war against Islam then there is need to get armed but with spiritual weapons otherwise, Europe will be Islamized totally in the next 10 years. Whining, raving and ranting and wishing away Islam is like peddling a fib, to say the least.
However, we cannot afford to equate Islam with violence or intolerance just like we do not condemn all priests if one messes around. There is urgent need to look into ways of mutual relations. Throwing brickbats at each other or taking hard line positions is no solution. It is not about brinkmanship but about relationship; not about jihad nor crusades, but about dialogue.
Mark you dialogue is not arrogance but about looking at things from the same view point. It is about walking halfway to meet the other. Fortunately, there has been some progress to this end but we are not yet there. The Pope has invited Muslim leaders to Vatican without restrictions, so it is about Muslim leaders allowing the Pope visit Mecca for example, or how about allowing Christians celebrate mass in public in countries where Muslims are majority just like the minority Muslims do in countries predominately Christian. Until this happens Islam remains intolerant, violent and irreligious.
A friend told me Islam borrows a lot from the locusts. As locusts swarm the thinking is that each has 99 eggs and only wished if they had the 100th one to lay waste the world. How do we prevent the hatching of the 100th egg? Practicing of faith! Europe needs to gather all her brood, re-read the riot act and demand a renewal. I imagine if all the baptized were to wake up and defend their heritage!. Don’t they say that if you want to go faster go alone but if you want to go far then you better walk with others.
At the time when Islam seems to be advancing across Europe, we need to remind ourselves that in the minds of many Europeans, images of Islam are becoming increasingly limited to terrorism, permanent jihad, suicide bombers,… etc. The Muslims have a reason to be taking over Europe. According to Czech Cardinal Miloslav ‘the Muslims have a reason to be heading to Europe. They have a religious one- to bring the spiritual values of faith in God to a pagan environment in Europe, to its atheistic style of life’.www.circolopraga.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1674:cardinale-vlk-attenti-all-islam&catid=98:dalla-cechia&Itemid=350
Others accuse European Union of having diverted from the Christian principles on which it was found and getting secularized opening space to Islamization. The result of secularization -no crosses in school, no Presepe’s in schools! However, if the Christians are to wage war against Islam then there is need to get armed but with spiritual weapons otherwise, Europe will be Islamized totally in the next 10 years. Whining, raving and ranting and wishing away Islam is like peddling a fib, to say the least.
However, we cannot afford to equate Islam with violence or intolerance just like we do not condemn all priests if one messes around. There is urgent need to look into ways of mutual relations. Throwing brickbats at each other or taking hard line positions is no solution. It is not about brinkmanship but about relationship; not about jihad nor crusades, but about dialogue.
Mark you dialogue is not arrogance but about looking at things from the same view point. It is about walking halfway to meet the other. Fortunately, there has been some progress to this end but we are not yet there. The Pope has invited Muslim leaders to Vatican without restrictions, so it is about Muslim leaders allowing the Pope visit Mecca for example, or how about allowing Christians celebrate mass in public in countries where Muslims are majority just like the minority Muslims do in countries predominately Christian. Until this happens Islam remains intolerant, violent and irreligious.
A friend told me Islam borrows a lot from the locusts. As locusts swarm the thinking is that each has 99 eggs and only wished if they had the 100th one to lay waste the world. How do we prevent the hatching of the 100th egg? Practicing of faith! Europe needs to gather all her brood, re-read the riot act and demand a renewal. I imagine if all the baptized were to wake up and defend their heritage!. Don’t they say that if you want to go faster go alone but if you want to go far then you better walk with others.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Security threat. No license to demean us.
Traveling by air at sends a spill of fear down my spine. I am phobic of height and the sheer imagination that I am in a tube flying numbs all my feelings. Any thoughts about the turbulence occurring mid air provokes and chokes so are the safety demonstrations. Therefore, to read stories of someone, like the Nigerian young man, who wanted to blow up the plane to Detroit, is blatant madness. It must have caused tremendous pains to the 300 people on board who were innocent caught in the middle of Al Quida terrorists fighting for supremacy.
The attack is not in isolation as in the recent there has been attacks using planes, the recent being Sept 11 that brought down twin towers in USA. Such attacks or other attempts by terrorists or by groups related to them have seen in the past security measures heightened around the world. Apart from the displeasure of having to fly, security frisks bring the other discomfort; removing of jackets, anything metallic and shoes and at times inhuman frisks that do not recognize my civic rights.
Well I presume no one would want his life jeopardized by reckless security lapses like it happened on Christmas night last year. We cannot afford to risk any life either in USA or elsewhere. But does that give governments rights to introduce scanners that show human anatomy with little or nothing to conceal? We have had new security measures announced by the USA administration with Britain in hot pursuit that Okays the use of the scanners among other measures. The debate on scanners is not new, as efforts to introduce them earlier hit a snag after court ruling. The question I would ask is what has made them right, if it was inhuman to use them then? With the new measures there has been a hue and cry in many parts of the world and one can only hope that sanity reigns and that or decisions be informed accordingly. http://www.businessinsider.com/new-security-measures-at-air-canada-forces-mass-cancellat
To me the new measures beg more questions than answers. What is the logic of ‘labelling’ some countries as threats to USA subjecting anyone coming from these countries to extra frisks? Are terrorists only in the named countries? If we need to introduce new measures why not do it indiscriminately to all? Does this probably explain why European airports are slow to adopt them despite the urgency with which Obama announced them? Or even the confusion created by having to apply double laws to various people depending on their origin? http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2010/01/04/news/doc4b4231031bc43249057914.txt
I personally think that though we need to travel in serene environment no one should be denied of his right or have his dignity lowered due to his origin, color or religion. On the same note we expect Obama to explain the failure on the part of security agents who allowed the alleged terrorist board the plane despite the information passed to them by the father. To Obama I say heads must roll until we know who gave a hand, when, how and why. Admission that the buck stops at your door is not news, we have heard it many times. The problem is systemic. Before thinking of how to fix us, fix your house Mr. President! Otherwise we will not just sit down and watch governments violate our civic rights and our rights as human to be treated with dignity.
The attack is not in isolation as in the recent there has been attacks using planes, the recent being Sept 11 that brought down twin towers in USA. Such attacks or other attempts by terrorists or by groups related to them have seen in the past security measures heightened around the world. Apart from the displeasure of having to fly, security frisks bring the other discomfort; removing of jackets, anything metallic and shoes and at times inhuman frisks that do not recognize my civic rights.
Well I presume no one would want his life jeopardized by reckless security lapses like it happened on Christmas night last year. We cannot afford to risk any life either in USA or elsewhere. But does that give governments rights to introduce scanners that show human anatomy with little or nothing to conceal? We have had new security measures announced by the USA administration with Britain in hot pursuit that Okays the use of the scanners among other measures. The debate on scanners is not new, as efforts to introduce them earlier hit a snag after court ruling. The question I would ask is what has made them right, if it was inhuman to use them then? With the new measures there has been a hue and cry in many parts of the world and one can only hope that sanity reigns and that or decisions be informed accordingly. http://www.businessinsider.com/new-security-measures-at-air-canada-forces-mass-cancellat
To me the new measures beg more questions than answers. What is the logic of ‘labelling’ some countries as threats to USA subjecting anyone coming from these countries to extra frisks? Are terrorists only in the named countries? If we need to introduce new measures why not do it indiscriminately to all? Does this probably explain why European airports are slow to adopt them despite the urgency with which Obama announced them? Or even the confusion created by having to apply double laws to various people depending on their origin? http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2010/01/04/news/doc4b4231031bc43249057914.txt
I personally think that though we need to travel in serene environment no one should be denied of his right or have his dignity lowered due to his origin, color or religion. On the same note we expect Obama to explain the failure on the part of security agents who allowed the alleged terrorist board the plane despite the information passed to them by the father. To Obama I say heads must roll until we know who gave a hand, when, how and why. Admission that the buck stops at your door is not news, we have heard it many times. The problem is systemic. Before thinking of how to fix us, fix your house Mr. President! Otherwise we will not just sit down and watch governments violate our civic rights and our rights as human to be treated with dignity.
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